Chemical fumes at NSW aquatic centre send four children to hospital

Around 9:30am on May 20, police were called to the Macksville Memorial Aquatic and Fitness Centre after reports children had been overwhelmed by chemical fumes.

Four children were rushed to hospital after being affected by the fumes, suffering respiratory distress, and a fifth child was treated at the scene.

Health authorities told the ABC on May 21 that three children were in a stable condition at Macksville Hospital, while the fourth child is now also in a stable condition at Coffs Harbour Health Campus.

Police told the ABC the excess fumes were suspected to be the result of a chemical overdose of the indoor pool.

SafeWork NSW attended the aquatic centre following the incident that caused chemical fumes to overwhelm the patrons. SafeWork NSW told SPLASH! that they are investigating the incident, but cannot give a time as to when the results of the investigation will be made public.

At the time of writing, the pools at the Macksville Memorial Aquatic and Fitness Centre remain closed until further notice, although the gym and group fitness area is now open.

IMAGE: AdobeStock, illustrative only